nd one Heavy. Ground
lines under heavy pressure. Ships' crews involved in fighting at
perimeter. Food critical, other supplies low. Several thousand wounded.
Combat data follows." There was a good assessment of the struggle, with
some enemy positions that were known.

The Fleet Force that had escorted nearly one hundred thousand ground
troops included five Heavies and other craft in proportion, besides the
transports and supply ships. Alone, they'd been pinned down by superior
enemy ground forces and by a sizable fleet holed up all around the
satellite. With Tulan's support they could be taken off.

Tulan composed orders. "Withdraw ships' crews from lines and prepare to
lift. Get wounded aboard transports and prepare to evacuate troops. Set
up fire control network to direct our ground support."

The tedious job of shrinking the perimeter, a short stretch at a time,
began, harassed by the quickly adapting enemy.

During the first twenty hours the hostile fire was all from ground
projectors, the enemy ships not risking detection by joining in. By that
time one section of the front had pulled back to where several ships,
sheltered in a crater, would have to lift.

Lines of men and equipment converged on the ships and jammed aboard. The
actual lift was preceded by a diversion a few miles away, which
succeeded in pulling considerable enemy fire. The ships got off in
unison, slanting back across friendly territory and drawing only light
missiles which the defenses handled easily.

* * * * *

Then, suddenly, a salvo of heavy stuff came crashing in, too unexpected
and too well planned to stop. One of the lifting ships, a transport,
vanished in a great flash.

Tulan yelled into his communicator. "Plot! Where did that come from?"

"I'm sorting, sir. Here! A roboscout got a straight five-second plot
before they downed it!"

"Intelligence!" Tulan snapped. "Get the co-ordinates and bring me
photos!"

There were already pictures of the area where the salvo must have
originated, and one of them showed a cave-like opening in a crater
wall. "That's it!" Tulan jabbed a pencil at it. "You could hide a dozen
ships in there. Let's get a strike organized!"

* * * * *

The strike group included four Heavies besides the flagship, with twelve
Mediums and twenty Lights. They slanted down in a jerky evasive course
while pictures flashed on screens to be compared with th